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{{Short description| | {{Short description|Small pyramid-shaped candy}} | ||
{{Lead extra info|date=October 2025}} | |||
{{About||the 2019 film|Candy Corn (film)}} | {{About||the 2019 film|Candy Corn (film)}} | ||
{{Infobox prepared food | {{Infobox prepared food | ||
| name | | name = Candy corn | ||
| image | | image = Candy-Corn.jpg | ||
| image_size | | image_size = 250px | ||
| caption | | caption = | ||
| alternate_name | | alternate_name = | ||
| country | | country = United States | ||
| region | | region = [[Cincinnati]], [[Ohio]] | ||
| type = [[Confectionery]] | |||
| type | | served = | ||
| served | | main_ingredient = [[Sugar]], [[corn syrup]], [[carnauba wax]], artificial coloring and binders | ||
| main_ingredient | | variations = cupid corn, bunny corn, harvest corn, reindeer corn | ||
| variations | | calories = | ||
| calories | | other = | ||
| other | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''Candy corn''' is a | '''Candy corn''' is a [[candy]] typically divided into three sections of different colors, with a waxy texture and a flavor based on [[honey]], [[sugar]], and [[vanilla]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Pai|first=Tanya|date=2015-10-29|title=Candy corn: Halloween's most contentious sweet, explained|url=https://www.vox.com/2015/10/29/9633560/candy-corn-explained|access-date=2020-10-12|website=Vox|language=en|archive-date=2023-12-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204203707/https://www.vox.com/2015/10/29/9633560/candy-corn-explained|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Citation|last1=Hartel|first1=Richard W.|title=National Candy Corn Day|date=2014|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9383-9_26|work=Candy Bites: The Science of Sweets|pages=101–104|editor-last=Hartel|editor-first=Richard W.|place=New York, NY|publisher=Springer|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-1-4614-9383-9_26|isbn=978-1-4614-9383-9|access-date=2020-10-12|last2=Hartel|first2=AnnaKate|editor2-last=Hartel|editor2-first=AnnaKate|archive-date=2024-05-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530030110/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4614-9383-9_26|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> It is a staple candy of the [[Autumn|fall]] season and [[Halloween]] in North America.<ref name=":5"/> | ||
Candy corn's traditional colors of yellow, orange, and white represent the colors of the fall [[harvest]],<ref name=":5"/> or of [[corn on the cob]],<ref name="Google Trends">{{cite web|title=History of candy corn|url=http://www.spectatornews.com/showcase/2007/10/29/history-of-candy-corn/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920163417/https://www.spectatornews.com/showcase/2007/10/history-of-candy-corn/|archive-date=20 September 2020|access-date=5 October 2012|work=[[University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire|The Spectator]]|department=Showcase}}</ref> with the wide yellow end resembling a [[corn kernel]].<ref name=":1" /> | Candy corn's traditional colors of yellow, orange, and white represent the colors of the fall [[harvest]],<ref name=":5"/> or of [[corn on the cob]],<ref name="Google Trends">{{cite web|title=History of candy corn|url=http://www.spectatornews.com/showcase/2007/10/29/history-of-candy-corn/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920163417/https://www.spectatornews.com/showcase/2007/10/history-of-candy-corn/|archive-date=20 September 2020|access-date=5 October 2012|work=[[University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire|The Spectator]]|department=Showcase}}</ref> with the wide yellow end resembling a [[corn kernel]].<ref name=":1" /> | ||
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[[File:Original candy corn.jpg|thumb|An early advertisement for Goelitz candy corn]] | [[File:Original candy corn.jpg|thumb|An early advertisement for Goelitz candy corn]] | ||
"Chicken Feed" was the original candy name, with production starting in the late 1880s.<ref name=Broek>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bhg.com/halloween/recipes/the-history-of-candy-corn/ |title=Broek, Sara. "The History of Candy Corn: A Halloween Candy Favorite", ''Better Homes and Gardens'' |access-date=2014-10-29 |archive-date=2023-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328215357/https://www.bhg.com/halloween/recipes/the-history-of-candy-corn/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It was first invented in the 1880s by a Wunderle Candy Company employee | "Chicken Feed" was the original candy name, with production starting in the late 1880s.<ref name=Broek>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bhg.com/halloween/recipes/the-history-of-candy-corn/ |title=Broek, Sara. "The History of Candy Corn: A Halloween Candy Favorite", ''Better Homes and Gardens'' |access-date=2014-10-29 |archive-date=2023-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328215357/https://www.bhg.com/halloween/recipes/the-history-of-candy-corn/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It was first invented in the 1880s by George Renninger, a Wunderle Candy Company employee.<ref name=":2">{{Cite magazine|last=Waxman|first=Olivia B.|date=2013-10-30|title=A brief history of candy corn for Nat'l Candy Corn Day|language=en-US|magazine=Time|url=https://newsfeed.time.com/2013/10/30/an-oral-history-of-candy-corn-the-most-polarizing-confection-of-them-all/|access-date=2020-10-12|issn=0040-781X|archive-date=2020-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007153129/https://newsfeed.time.com/2013/10/30/an-oral-history-of-candy-corn-the-most-polarizing-confection-of-them-all/|url-status=live}}</ref> Wunderle Candy Company was the first to produce the candy in 1888.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wunderle's Candy: Our claim to fame |url=https://wunderlecandy.com/ |publisher=Wunderle's Candy |access-date=3 July 2020 |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807175910/https://wunderlecandy.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Goelitz Confectionery Company, now called [[Jelly Belly]], began manufacturing the product in 1898.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Schmidt|first=Ann|date=2019-10-30|title=Candy corn sales expected to top $73M: How Halloween's controversial treat got its start|url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/candy-corn-what-to-know-halloween|access-date=2020-10-12|website=FOXBusiness|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-10-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029124700/https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/candy-corn-what-to-know-halloween|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
While Jelly Belly still makes candy corn, the largest manufacturer of candy corn is [[Brach's|Brach's Confections]] owned by the [[Ferrara Candy Company]].<ref name=":3" /> Brach's makes approximately 7 billion pieces of candy corn per year and possesses 85 percent of the total share of the candy corn industry during the Halloween season.<ref name=":3" /> | While Jelly Belly still makes candy corn, the largest manufacturer of candy corn is [[Brach's|Brach's Confections]] owned by the [[Ferrara Candy Company]].<ref name=":3" /> Brach's makes approximately 7 billion pieces of candy corn per year and possesses 85 percent of the total share of the candy corn industry during the Halloween season.<ref name=":3" /> | ||
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==Production== | ==Production== | ||
Originally, the candy was made by hand.<ref name="recipes.howstuffworks.com">{{cite web |title=What is Candy Corn and How is it Made? |url=http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/candy-corn.htm |work=howstuffworks.com |access-date=15 October 2009 |archive-date=27 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927050925/https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/candy-corn.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Manufacturers first combined sugar, [[corn syrup]] and water, and cooked them to form a [[slurry]]. [[Fondant icing|Fondant]] was added for texture and [[marshmallows]] were added to provide a soft bite.<ref name="recipes.howstuffworks.com"/> | Originally, the candy was made by hand.<ref name="recipes.howstuffworks.com">{{cite web |title=What is Candy Corn and How is it Made? |url=http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/candy-corn.htm |work=howstuffworks.com |access-date=15 October 2009 |archive-date=27 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927050925/https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/candy-corn.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Manufacturers first combined sugar, [[corn syrup]] and water, and cooked them to form a [[slurry]]. [[Fondant icing|Fondant]] was added for texture and [[marshmallows]] were added to provide a soft bite.<ref name="recipes.howstuffworks.com"/> | ||
The recipe is similar today. The production method, called "[[corn starch]] modeling",<ref name="Saeger">{{cite news|last=Saeger|first=Natalie|date=29 October 2007|work=[[University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire|The Spectator]]|title=History of candy corn. With new colors and flavors, it is a treat for all seasons.|department=Showcase|access-date=5 October 2012|url=http://www.spectatornews.com/showcase/2007/10/29/history-of-candy-corn/|archive-date=20 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920163417/https://www.spectatornews.com/showcase/2007/10/history-of-candy-corn/|url-status=live}}</ref> likewise remains the same, though tasks initially performed by hand were soon taken over by [[Starch mogul|machines made for that purpose]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Candy Corn Bulk Candy |url=http://www.candyfavorites.com/Candy-Corn-Bulk-Candy-pr-1303.html |work=Candyfavorites.com |access-date=4 October 2009 |archive-date=27 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327234621/http://www.candyfavorites.com/Candy-Corn-Bulk-Candy-pr-1303.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | The recipe is similar today. The production method, called "[[corn starch]] modeling",<ref name="Saeger">{{cite news|last=Saeger|first=Natalie|date=29 October 2007|work=[[University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire|The Spectator]]|title=History of candy corn. With new colors and flavors, it is a treat for all seasons.|department=Showcase|access-date=5 October 2012|url=http://www.spectatornews.com/showcase/2007/10/29/history-of-candy-corn/|archive-date=20 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920163417/https://www.spectatornews.com/showcase/2007/10/history-of-candy-corn/|url-status=live}}</ref> likewise remains the same, though tasks initially performed by hand were soon taken over by [[Starch mogul|machines made for that purpose]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Candy Corn Bulk Candy |url=http://www.candyfavorites.com/Candy-Corn-Bulk-Candy-pr-1303.html |work=Candyfavorites.com |access-date=4 October 2009 |archive-date=27 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327234621/http://www.candyfavorites.com/Candy-Corn-Bulk-Candy-pr-1303.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
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A popular variation called "harvest corn" adds cocoa powder;<ref>{{cite web |title=Brach Harvest Corn product description |url=https://www.brachs.com/products/halloween/harvest-corn.html |access-date=2021-10-10 |archive-date=2021-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010213010/https://www.brachs.com/products/halloween/harvest-corn.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> it features a chocolate brown wide end, orange center, and pointed white tip. It is often available around [[Thanksgiving]].<ref name="Broek"/> During the [[Halloween]] season, blackberry cobbler candy corn can be found in [[Eastern Canada]], as well as candy corn shaped like pumpkins. Confectioners have introduced additional color variations suited to other holidays.<ref name="Saeger"/> | A popular variation called "harvest corn" adds cocoa powder;<ref>{{cite web |title=Brach Harvest Corn product description |url=https://www.brachs.com/products/halloween/harvest-corn.html |access-date=2021-10-10 |archive-date=2021-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010213010/https://www.brachs.com/products/halloween/harvest-corn.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> it features a chocolate brown wide end, orange center, and pointed white tip. It is often available around [[Thanksgiving]].<ref name="Broek"/> During the [[Halloween]] season, blackberry cobbler candy corn can be found in [[Eastern Canada]], as well as candy corn shaped like pumpkins. Confectioners have introduced additional color variations suited to other holidays.<ref name="Saeger"/> | ||
The [[Christmas]] variant, sometimes called "reindeer corn",<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/health/strange-facts-about-candy-corn/index.html|title=5 strange facts about candy corn|author1=Griggs, Brandon|author2=Maxouris, Christina|date=10 October 2016|work=CNN|access-date=31 October 2018|archive-date=15 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115090214/https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/health/strange-facts-about-candy-corn/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> typically has a red end and a green center. The [[Valentine's Day]] variant, sometimes called "cupid corn",<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/17/candy-corn-facts_n_5961586.html |title=Jacques, Renee. "10 Things You Never Knew About Candy Corn, The Candy You Love To Hate", ''Huffington Post'', October 17, 2014 |website=[[HuffPost]] |date=17 October 2014 |access-date=October 29, 2014 |archive-date=May 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529024500/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/17/candy-corn-facts_n_5961586.html |url-status=live }}</ref> typically has a red end and a pink center. In the United States during [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] celebrations, corn with a blue end, white center, and red tip, named "freedom corn", can be found at celebratory | The [[Christmas]] variant, sometimes called "reindeer corn",<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/health/strange-facts-about-candy-corn/index.html|title=5 strange facts about candy corn|author1=Griggs, Brandon|author2=Maxouris, Christina|date=10 October 2016|work=CNN|access-date=31 October 2018|archive-date=15 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115090214/https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/health/strange-facts-about-candy-corn/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> typically has a red end and a green center. The [[Valentine's Day]] variant, sometimes called "cupid corn",<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/17/candy-corn-facts_n_5961586.html |title=Jacques, Renee. "10 Things You Never Knew About Candy Corn, The Candy You Love To Hate", ''Huffington Post'', October 17, 2014 |website=[[HuffPost]] |date=17 October 2014 |access-date=October 29, 2014 |archive-date=May 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529024500/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/17/candy-corn-facts_n_5961586.html |url-status=live }}</ref> typically has a red end and a pink center. In the United States during [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] celebrations, corn with a blue end, white center, and red tip, named "freedom corn", can be found at celebratory cookouts and patriotic celebrations. The [[Easter]] variant, sometimes called "bunny corn", is typically a two-color candy, and comes with a variety of pastel bases, pink, green, yellow, and purple, with white tips all in one package.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Candy Corn {{!}} Local Confectionery From United States of America |url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/candy-corn |access-date=2025-11-17 |website=www.tasteatlas.com}}</ref> | ||
There have been caramel apple and green apple, s'mores and pumpkin spice, carrot corn (green and orange, with a carrot cake flavor), and birthday cake candy corn flavors.{{ | There have been caramel apple and green apple, s'mores and pumpkin spice, carrot corn (green and orange, with a carrot cake flavor), and birthday cake candy corn flavors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Martinez |first=Erica |date=2024-10-01 |title=The Flavors That Make Up The Iconic Taste Of Candy Corn |url=https://www.thetakeout.com/1675522/what-flavor-candy-corn/ |access-date=2025-11-17 |website=The Takeout |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2022, Brach's released a tailgate variant with fruit punch, vanilla ice cream, popcorn, hotdog, and hamburger flavored pieces.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hot Dog-Flavored Candy Corn Is Part of This New 'Tailgate' Mix |url=https://www.foodandwine.com/news/tailgate-candy-corn-hot-dog-hamburger-flavors-brachs |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=Food & Wine |language=en |archive-date=2022-11-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101140247/https://www.foodandwine.com/news/tailgate-candy-corn-hot-dog-hamburger-flavors-brachs |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
Candy corn flavored snacks have become more widely available with candy corn flavored variants of snack foods and candy, including [[Oreo]]s, [[M&M's]], [[marshmallow]]s, and more.<ref name=":2" /> | Candy corn flavored snacks have become more widely available with candy corn flavored variants of snack foods and candy, including [[Oreo]]s, [[M&M's]], [[marshmallow]]s, and more.<ref name=":2" /> | ||
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[[Category:American snack foods]] | [[Category:American snack foods]] | ||
[[Category:American confectionery]] | [[Category:American confectionery]] | ||
[[Category:Food for children]] | |||
Latest revision as of 16:34, 17 November 2025
Template:Short description Template:Lead extra info Script error: No such module "about". Template:Infobox prepared food
Candy corn is a candy typically divided into three sections of different colors, with a waxy texture and a flavor based on honey, sugar, and vanilla.[1][2] It is a staple candy of the fall season and Halloween in North America.[2]
Candy corn's traditional colors of yellow, orange, and white represent the colors of the fall harvest,[2] or of corn on the cob,[3] with the wide yellow end resembling a corn kernel.[1]
Candy corn has a reputation for generating polarizing responses, with articles referring to it as "Halloween's most contentious sweet"[1] which people either "love" or "hate".[2][4][5]
History
"Chicken Feed" was the original candy name, with production starting in the late 1880s.[6] It was first invented in the 1880s by George Renninger, a Wunderle Candy Company employee.[7] Wunderle Candy Company was the first to produce the candy in 1888.[8] The Goelitz Confectionery Company, now called Jelly Belly, began manufacturing the product in 1898.[9]
While Jelly Belly still makes candy corn, the largest manufacturer of candy corn is Brach's Confections owned by the Ferrara Candy Company.[9] Brach's makes approximately 7 billion pieces of candy corn per year and possesses 85 percent of the total share of the candy corn industry during the Halloween season.[9]
Along with other agriculture-inspired treats in the late 19th century, America's confectioners sought to market candy corn to a largely rural society.[10] During the late 19th century, "butter cream" candies molded into many types of nature-inspired shapes, including chestnuts, turnips, and clover leaves, were quite popular but what made candy corn stand out was its bright and iconic tri-color layering.[5]
Although it is currently most popular in the fall, candy corn was only sometimes associated with the fall and Halloween seasons. For the first half of the 20th century, candy corn was a well-known "penny candy" or bulk confectionery. It was advertised as an affordable and popular treat that could be eaten year-round.[5]
Candy corn developed into a fall and Halloween staple around the 1950s when people began to hand out individually wrapped candy to trick-or-treaters. The harvest-themed colors and increased advertising in October also helped candy corn become a fall staple.[5]
The National Confectioners Association has deemed October 30, the day before Halloween, "National Candy Corn Day".[7]
Sales
Template:As of, annual production in the United States was 35 million pounds, or almost 9 billion pieces of candy.[11] The majority of candy corn sales occur during the Halloween season.[1]
Production
Originally, the candy was made by hand.[12] Manufacturers first combined sugar, corn syrup and water, and cooked them to form a slurry. Fondant was added for texture and marshmallows were added to provide a soft bite.[12]
The recipe is similar today. The production method, called "corn starch modeling",[13] likewise remains the same, though tasks initially performed by hand were soon taken over by machines made for that purpose.[14]
Ingredients
Candy corn is made with sugar, corn syrup, salt, sesame oil, honey, artificial flavor, food colorings, gelatin, and confectioner's glaze. The confectioner's glaze is made from lac resin, a bug secretion.[15]
Variants
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A popular variation called "harvest corn" adds cocoa powder;[16] it features a chocolate brown wide end, orange center, and pointed white tip. It is often available around Thanksgiving.[6] During the Halloween season, blackberry cobbler candy corn can be found in Eastern Canada, as well as candy corn shaped like pumpkins. Confectioners have introduced additional color variations suited to other holidays.[13]
The Christmas variant, sometimes called "reindeer corn",[11] typically has a red end and a green center. The Valentine's Day variant, sometimes called "cupid corn",[17] typically has a red end and a pink center. In the United States during Independence Day celebrations, corn with a blue end, white center, and red tip, named "freedom corn", can be found at celebratory cookouts and patriotic celebrations. The Easter variant, sometimes called "bunny corn", is typically a two-color candy, and comes with a variety of pastel bases, pink, green, yellow, and purple, with white tips all in one package.[18]
There have been caramel apple and green apple, s'mores and pumpkin spice, carrot corn (green and orange, with a carrot cake flavor), and birthday cake candy corn flavors.[19] In 2022, Brach's released a tailgate variant with fruit punch, vanilla ice cream, popcorn, hotdog, and hamburger flavored pieces.[20] Candy corn flavored snacks have become more widely available with candy corn flavored variants of snack foods and candy, including Oreos, M&M's, marshmallows, and more.[7]
See also
References
External links
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